Engine



April 11, 1933. J MEYER 1,903,532

ENGINE 4 Filed June :8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 X INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

April 11, 1933.

} ENGINE 2 Sheets-Shet 2 A. J. MEYER 1,'03;5 32

Filed June 8, 1931 Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PAQTENFTTOFFICE. l

ANDRE J. MEYER, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To com-mam; Morons con PORATION, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN,-A CORPORATION E"VIRGI1\TI A ENGINE Application filed June 8, 193i. Serial No. 542,723.

This invention relates to internal. combustion engines and has particular reference to improvements materially reducing the cost of manufacture and also improving the performance and wearing characteristics of the engine.

My said invention has particular reference to engines of the sleeve valve type although it will be apparent from my disclosure that my improvements-will not necessarily be limited to this type of engine. For purposes of disclosureI have illustrated my improvements embodied in a sleeve valve engine of the type wherein a valve operating shaft is located in the crankcase structure of the en gine since it is in connection with this gen eral type of engine that my improvements are of particular importance. In such engines it is customary to provide a driving connection between the sleeve or sleeves and the valve.operatingshaftand its is very desirable to position the valve operating shaft as closely as possible to the axis of thersleeve or cylinder, since this results in a number of advantages. First of all, such positioning reduces the angle of thrust from the valve operating shaft to the sleeve whereby the sleeve may be operated more efliciently and the parts constituting the valve .gear may be made lighter and cheaper. Secondly, such positioning reduces the over-all dimensions of the engine with a consequent saving in material and cost of production I attain the above objects by providing a novel construction for the connection between the piston connectingrod andthe engine crankshaft by reason of which the connecting rod bearing cap is offset to provide an additional clearance over conventional constructions on the side of the engine containing the valve operating shaft. This additional clearance in my invention is occupied by the valve operating shaft which is thereby moved closer to the sleeve axis than would be otherwise possible.

: Further objects and advantages of my invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts more part cularly hereinafter referred to. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through the engine illustrating my improvements,

Fig. 2 is' a detailplan view ofthe engine shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional eleva tion illustrating the additional clearance space provided for the Valve operating shaft over theconventional arrangement of connecting rod bearingcaps. V h

Referring to the drawings, reference char.- acter A represents the engine cylinder block providing the usual" longitudinally s aced cylinders closed by a suitable cylinder head structure 11, 12 and 13 representing intake and exhaust manifolds respectively.

Each cylinder/is provided with theusualintake and exhaust ports 14 and 15 respectively, these ports being controlled by suitable sleeve valve means. In theillustrated embodiment the engine is the Burt-McCollum type in which a single sleeve valve 16 is given a combined axial reciprocation and oscillation, whereby any point on the sleeve traces a closed curve path in accomplishing the usual porting of sleeve intake and exhaust ports -17 and 18 respectively with the associated cylinder intake and exhaust ports Hand 15 respectively. Within the sleeve islocated the usual piston19 connected to the crank of a connecting rod 22. I V This connecting rod 22 is provided with 20 of crankshaft 21 through the intermediary] a bearing portion 23 and the associated bearingcap 24, which parts cooperate to surround the crank 20 to'provide an operative bearing betweenthe connecting rod and crank. The

bearing cap 24 is offset preferably for-the .nI'OSiL part toward that side of the plane longitudinally of the engine containing the connecting rod axis XX whichjis opposite the valve operating shaft 25; In order to provide such construction the bearing portion 23 is faced at 26 and 27 these faces lying in a plane out of perpendicular with'the connecting rod axis XX as shown in Fig.1. The bearing cap 24 is provided with corresponding faces and the'bearing portions 23 and 24 are secured together by suitable fastening bolt and nut assembliesf28 and '29.

Referring to the valve shaft 25 and assostantially equal to the extra clearance so.

ciated parts, the illustrated construction embodies a valve shaft provided with a wobble crank associated with each sleeve Valve, each wobble crank 30 comprising spaced ball portions 31 and 32 adapted to be engaged by the spaced socket portions 33 and 3 L of a forked sleeve connecting rod 35. The latter rod is suitably connected by a ball and socket structure 36 with the associated sleeve valve 16 whereby the latter will be operatedas afore said from the wobble crank 30. For the four-stroke cycle engine illustrated it will be readily understood that the valve shaft 25 is operated at one-half crankshaft speed and is adapted to be driven from thc'crankshaft by the usual driving mechanism not illustrated inthis instance to avoid confusion.

Referring-to Fig. 1, the line Y Y represents the innermost path traveled by the Wobble crank and associatedmechanism during a cycle of its operation. The line ZZ represents the outermost path defined by the travel of the connecting rod 22' and associated parts during a cycle of its travel. It will be noted that the lines YY and ZZ do not overlap whereby it will'be readily understood that. no interference will result during the operation of the engine and that by reason of my invention the line ZZ occupies a position closer to the axis of the sleeve valve than it would save for the offset bearing cap 24.. The additional space provided by the advantageous location of the line ZZ has been occupied in my illustrated embodiment by correspondinglymoving the valve shaft 25 toward the sleeve axis for an amount subafforded.

- V In order tofurther illustrate the clearance afforded by the offset construction, I'have shown in Fig. 3 a diagrammatic representa- 7 tion of the critical outline traced by the connecting rodembodied in my invention, and

' also an outline of the critical point traced by conventional connecting rod assemblies. Thus in Fig. 3 the lines Y Y and ZZ are illustrated as in Fig.1 and I have also illus trated in dotted lines the line Z Z' which -wou-ld be traced by the outermost point of the connecting rod if the latter were con- :structed along conventional lines including the bearingportion 23', bearing cap 24', fastening devices 28 and the bearing faces 2.6

7: a spec-ific type of valve shaft and operating and 27', the latter in this instance lying pers pendicularto the connecting 7 rod axis. From this illustration it will be apparent that the valve operating shaft25 could not occupy the position shownfin Fig. 3 in combination with the bearing cap 24 since the line Z'Z overlaps the line YY which would result in interference during engine operation between the .associated parts of the wobble crank mechanism and the connecting rod.

While I have described and illustrated combination of a cylinder, a piston, sleeve valve meansarranged to have both axlal reciproca-tion and circumferential oscillation, a crankshaft, a connecting rod intermediate the piston and crankshaft, a bearing cap for the connecting rod at its connection with the crankshaft, avalve operating shaft parallel to the crank-shaft, said valve operating shaft having a wobble crank, an operating connection between the wobble crank'and said sleeve valve means, said bearing cap being offset for the most part to that side of the plane extending longitudinally of the engine contain ing the connecting rod axis opposite to' the valve operating shaft, said valve operating shaft being closer to the cylinder axis'than it could be savel for-such oflset'.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, a bearing cap for the connecting rod, said bearing cap being offset from the connecting rod axis transversely of the engine, valve means for the engine, a valve operating shaft for said valve means, said valve operating shaft extending parallel with the crankshaft to the side thereof oppo- 7 site said offset whereby said valve operating shaft is positioned closer to the cylinder axis than it could be save for such offset.

3. In an: internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, valve means for the engine, a valve operating shaft parallel with the means connecting the connecting rod with crankshaft operating said valve means,

offset to that side of the plane extending longitudinally of the engine containing the 7 connecting rod axis opposite to the valve" opcrating shaft, said valve operating shaft being closer to the crankshaft than it could be save for such offset.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinder, a sleeve valve operating shaft parallel with the crankshaft for actuating said sleeve valve means, means connecting the connecting rod with the crankshaft, said connecting means being offset to that side of the plane extending longitudinally of the engine containing the connecting 'rod axis opposite to the sleeve valve operating shaft, said sleeve valve operating shaft being located relatively close to said. crankshaft without interference therewith by reason of said offset connecting means.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinder, a sleeve valve operating shaft parallel with the crankshaft for actuating said sleeve valve means, means connecting the connecting rod with the crankshaft, said connecting means being offset to that side of the plane extending longitudinally of the engine containing the connecting rod axis opposite to the sleeve valve operating shaft, said sleeve valve operating shaft being located relatively close to said crankshaft without interference therewith by reason of said offset connecting means, and a wobble crank carried by said sleeve valve operating shaft, said wobble crank being located to one side of and adjacent to the path of movement of said connecting rod connecting means.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the

; combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crankshaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinder, a sleeve valve operating shaft parallel with the crankshaft for actuating said sleeve valve means, means connecting the connecting rod with the crankshaft, said connecting means including a crankshaft engaging bearing cap faced for engagement with the connecting rod, said I face lying substantially in a plane out of perpendicular with the connecting rod axis whereby said bearing cap is offset with respect to the connecting rod axis away from said sleeve valve operating shaft, said sleeve path of movement of said connecting rod connecting means. a

8. In an engine, a crankshaft having a crank, a piston, a connecting rod between the piston and crank, a bearing cap engaging the crank for securing the connecting rod to the crank, said bearing cap being offset in the plane of crank rotation relative to the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod, and

a valve shaft adjacent said crankshaft at the side of said connecting rod opposite to said offset bearing cap, said valve shaft being located relatively close to the path of movement of said crank without interference therewith by reason of said offset. 7

9. In an engine, a crankshaft having a crank, a piston, a connecting rod between the piston and crank, a bearing cap engaging the crank for securing the connecting rod to the crank, said bearing cap being offset in the plane of crank rotation relative to the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod, and a valve shaft adjacent said crankshaft at the side of said connecting rod opposite to said offset bearing cap, said valve shaft being located relatively close to the path of movement of said crank without interference therewith by reason of said offset, said valve shaft having a wobble crank movable in the general plane of movement of said crank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDRE J. MEYER.

valve operating shaft being located relative- 1y close to said crankshaft without interference therewith by reason of saidofi'set bear in cap.

In an internal combustion'engine, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a crank-, shaft, a connecting rod between the piston and crankshaft, sleeve valve means associated with the cylinder, a sleeve valve operating shaft parallel with the crankshaft for actuating said sleevev valve means, means connecting the connecting rod with the crankshaft, said connecting means including a crankshaft engaging bearing cap faced for engagement with the connecting rod, said face lying sub stantially in a plane out of perpendicular with the connecting rod axis whereby said bearing cap is offset with respect to the connecting rod axis away from said sleeve valve operating shaft, said sleeve valve operating shaft being located relatively close to said crankshaft without interference therewith by'reason of said offset bearing cap, and a wobble crank carried by said sleeve valve operating shaft, said wobble crank being located to one'side of and adjacent to the Y 

